Later I want to tell you a little more about how Fireproof Ministries at one time supported my son and his mother when I couldn’t do so myself… KEEP READING! But first…

LET ME SHOW YOU SOME OF THE THINGS FIREPROOF MINISTRIES DOES

Jesus Loves Porn Stars:  Setting Up Booths at Porn Conventions

I first met the founders of Fireproof Ministries at a porn show. Their booth was much simpler than it is in this photo: back then it just said “XXXChurch.com – the number one Christian Porn Site”. I thought they were there to make fun of Christians, and I was all over it. I despised Christians, and anything that would poke at them was great in my opinion. I quickly discovered, however, that these people were manning a booth that was doing crazy things: showing love to a group of people at whom most Christians shouted hatred.  Some of those crazy things include doing make up for the girls who are hired by porn companies to run around being groped by porn convention visitors.  When those girls, someone’s daughter – someone’s sister, were sitting in the XXXChurch makeup chair, however, they’d hear words like this: “You’re beautiful.  God loves you.  There is nothing you can do to change that.  We think He has more for you than this, and if you’d like to talk, we’re here to listen.”

As even my own personal story demonstrates: non-judgmental love, which is Jesus’ love personified, changes people.

“Jesus Loves Porn Stars” Bibles

One year Fireproof started handing out Bibles that said something crazy on the cover:

“Jesus Loves Porn Stars”

On the back it asks the question, “Does Jesus Really Love Porn Stars?” The answer is given:  “Absolutely.  That might go against what you’ve heard about Jesus, but it’s true.  Jesus loves porn stars as much as He loves pastors, soccer moms, liars, thieves and prostitutes.  We’re all the same to Jesus.  We’re all just people who need God to save us from the mess we’re in and lead  us to a better way.  So what you’re holding in your hands is a straightforward telling of the story of Jesus…And in it you’ll read about the love-revolution that inspired the women and men who first experienced it to change the world forever.”

Thousands of these Bibles are given away free at porn conventions around the world.  Every one of them was made possible by donors.

Writing “Loved” on Brothel Walls

From teams of women who go into strip clubs to give roses and water to the dancers, to groups of people who want prostitutes to realize they are loved by the Creator of the Universe, Fireproof ministries reaches out to groups many others ignore or despise.  They recently did a make over on a real Nevada Brothel – not the part where the girls worked, but the disgusting area in which they lived when off duty.  On the walls they painted the words “Loved”.  The owner of this brothel welcomes the team to come back, and has even asked them to take certain workers away from the business after a heart softened by love-in-action recognized that an employee desperately needed to get out.

Embroidering “Loved” on Brothel Sheets and Pillowcases

In addition to painting the walls, the bedclothes were embroidered with the words “Loved.”   The team wasn’t there to pass judgment on the prostitutes to whom they were reaching out… they were there to show love in action, rather than just in words.  The staff of Fireproof Ministries believes God’s love really can change a person’s heart, and life.

Witnessing a group of people do things like this really got to me.  For the last four years of my porn-producing career, I watched this group work.  I’d go back and forth between being civil to them, and verbally attacking them, yet their message of love was consistent with the actions they showed towards me.  As that love broke down my walls of hatred and I could no longer justify to myself the things I was doing, I began to talk to God.  When I finally surrendered my life to Him, Craig Gross was the first person I called, and he sent one of the Fireproof Ministries pastoral staff to my house to spend time with me, a flight from Michigan to Northern California – the cost of which I was never asked to reimburse: donors made it possible.

Can you understand why I want to support this group of people?  Does it make a little more sense now? Will you help me do so by sponsoring me for this bowl-a-thon?

AND THAT IS WHY AM I PARTICIPATING IN A BOWL-A-THON

Fireproof Ministries (which includes XXXChurch.com, StripChurch.com and HeartSupport.com) does these types of things and many others that are “out of the box”…. which makes some people raise their eyebrows, while others think they’re the most relevant ministry ever.  When I was a Christian-hating porn producer, their approach to ministry really reached me.  They changed my opinions on what it means to be a Christian, which in turn took away my anger at the church, which eventually led to a place where I surrendered my life to God.  I know the leadership very well, and there is not a single person that doesn’t love God and have a heart for those who are in the gutter looking for a way out of it.

On my Bowlfest 2010 personalized donor page I listed a few personal reasons for doing this – here’s what I wrote:

I have a hard time asking people for money, even for such a great cause as this. But I want to share with you why I’m doing this:

This ministry has changed my life.

Let me explain… I produced porn for 9 years. I hated Christians. I despised the church. I was fueled by this rage. Fireproof ministries broke that hatred down over the course of four years. As they showed what it looked like to be Jesus in Skin, loving where others had hated, my heart softened and I couldn’t justify what I was doing with my life anymore. I reached out to God.

When I left porn I needed help. Fireproof was there being Jesus in Skin again. When they flew a Pastor to my house in California from their offices in Michigan (at the time) I wasn’t charged a dime. When they helped support my son after I’d lost all my income, they didn’t ask for a dime in return. When I mentioned wanting to go to Seminary they stepped up again, paying for my schooling.

Things like that take money. Helping raise that money is one way I can give back. Will you help me reach my goal? I’d appreciate it. Here’s what we’re doing:

On April 24th, I am going to risk total exhaustion, a coronary and possible carpel tunnel to help make a difference. You too can help by sponsoring me in the Bowlfest 2010 bowl-a-thon! I am going to bowl 100 frames to benefit Fireproof Ministries. Fireproof Ministries has several different ministries which are: XXXchurch.com (xxxchurch.com), The Strip Church (stripchurch.com), and Heart Support (heartsupport.com). I would love to make it to my goal of $25/frame ($2,500). I thank you for any donation you can give and remember all donations are tax-deductible!

If you’d like to read more about what this ministry means to me, check out this page on my website: http://www.donnypauling.com/blog/about/

FIREPROOF SUPPORTED MY SON

When I left the porn world I hadn’t saved any money.  I’d made a lot of it, and blew enormous amounts on trivial things because porn “would always be around so why save now?”  Thing is, my child support payments were incredibly important to my son and his mother.  Not being able to provide for them was not only a blow to the ego, but an enormous weight on my mind.  I couldn’t help talk about it, and Fireproof listened.  Checks began to arrive in the mailbox of my ex-wife, helping to pay my child support for the few months it took before I figured out how to support myself and my most important obligations.

FIREPROOF PAID MY TUITION

When I made it known that I wanted to enroll in a Seminary Program, not only did Craig Gross, co-founder of Fireproof Ministries, help me find a good school, he also paid my tuition through the ministry’s Esther Fund.  They do this because they are being Jesus in Skin.  This is a ministry that does a lot more than talk the talk.  They didn’t drag me out of the gutter and then send me on my way, alone.  Instead, they helped where most others never would have:  emotionally, spiritually, big time financially – we’re talking tens of thousands of dollars for ME ALONE.

This amazing ministry is only possible because of donations.  Christians who donated to this ministry in the past allowed Fireproof to be Jesus in skin, and that changed my life.  Let me restate that:  the very Christians I used to hate changed…my…life… even as I hated them. Talk about living up to the term “Christian”…

I realize there are a lot of non-profit companies to whom you can donate your hard earned money.  But I’m sure you understand why this one is personal, and why I’m asking you to sponsor me for Bowlfest 2010 today.  This fund raiser only comes once a year, and this is the first year I’ve participated.  I want to reach my $2,500 goal (or exceed it), and I’m asking you to help me do so.  No matter if it’s $5, $10, $100 or whatever… every single penny helps me get closer, and I thank you for it.

The whole reason for this post is this:  I REALLY need more sponsors.  In addition to the amount that has been donated on this online donor page, I’ve also raised an additional $600 in offline pledges, which at this precise moment (2:45pm PST on April 14th, 2010) brings me to an embarrassing grand total of $1055 (before I’ve counted any contributions of my own).  I won’t settle for anything less than $1,500 AT MINIMUS so if nothing else comes in between now and Bowlfest, I’ll make up the difference personally.   Still, I’d REALLY like to exceed the $2,500 goal I mentioned on my donor page, and every single bit counts.  Counting online and offline pledges, so far I’ve received a handful of $25 donations, a few $50 and $100 donations, one $200 donation and one $300 donation.  Every single bit adds up to bringing me closer to my goal, and I appreciate each one immensely.

As the thread title mentions, even a currently active porn producer made a pledge.  Why?  It was given because that producer knows this ministry is the real deal.  In fact, even porn star Ron Jeremy has donated this year, though not to me.  He is one of Craig‘s Bowlfest sponsors.  Even though he doesn’t agree with Craig’s views on porn, he respects this ministry.  That’s saying something.

Can you help too?  Either

make an online donation here using paypal, a credit card, or a bank account

… or

email me and let me know if you’d rather make an offline pledge.

And thank you for reading this!

Growing up, and throughout my adult years up until just a few years ago, I often saw the Bible as a boring book.  When God changed my life in September of 2006 I still held that feeling, especially when it came to The Old Testament.

But I started attending Neighborhood Church in Redding, California, and that has made all the difference…

Bill Giovannetti is the Lead Pastor at NCRedding, and he often uses passages from the Old Testament in his sermons.  And the sermons hold my attention.  Seriously, if I hadn’t said that myself I’d be inclined not to believe it.  The Old Testament not boring?  “Whatchu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?”

Bill has become one of my best friends.  We meet regularly and chat about life, liberty, and the pursuit of… whatever we’re pursuing at the time.  When I told Bill, a few years ago, that I thought the Bible was poorly written and somewhat childish, Bill told me he thought I was wrong, loved the Bible, and thought it was beautifully written.  Thing is, I have a bullshit detector built in, and it wasn’t going off when he told me that.  He meant it.

Author Donald Miller wrote, “Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way.”  Don’s on to something there… because Bill’s obvious love for the Bible ignited a curiosity within me.  Bill has a doctorate degree.  In addition to being a Pastor, he’s a Professor at the local University.  Early in our friendship, when the aforementioned conversation took place, I needed to know why this intelligent man said such things about the Bible.  I needed to know why I could look him in the eye and tell he wasn’t just spewing out Christianese when he claimed to love it.

In Bill’s sermons, he takes us to the time and place being discussed.  We who listen to him speak hear context.  We learn about the culture of the people.  We are given an insight as to what the text meant to them… how they understood it.  I wanted to know how Bill knew these things, so I asked (that desire for knowledge is actually what led me to the place where I told Craig Gross from XXXChurch that I wanted to enroll in Seminary – which Craig responded to by telling me X3′s Esther Fund would pay for it).  I’ve been learning how to study the Bible, and I have to tell you… I get so much more out of it when digging into context and culture than by just reading the words.   I’ve read through the New Testament four times so far and I get something new out of it each time.

On a side note here, I’d like to recommend the following book to anyone who has the same desire “to know” burning inside of them: How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth – notice the word Its doesn’t contain an apostrophe… that’s because it doesn’t mean “for all IT IS worth”, it means “for all the worth it contains within”.

In the second half of 2009 I picked up the Scholar’s Library: Gold software package from Logos.com.  There are literally thousands of resources available within that package.  It makes a computer nerd like me very happy to be able to study from the comforts of my easy chair with my laptop warming the tops of my legs.  I read three chapters a day and try to do so in the morning before doing anything else.  Currently, I’m working through an Old Testament reading plan from YouVersion.com.  I start by reading an entire chapter.  Once finished with reading the text through, I open up a few different commentaries and read what they have to say.  Then I browse other miscellaneous resources that come with the software.  I’m always learning something interesting.  One recent example: it’s thought that Joshua was a skilled military leader long before taking over for Moses, and likely led the Egyptian army in battles.  Maybe it’s my inner nerd, but I find things like that fascinating.  It paints a more colorful picture when I read about his conquests leading Israel.

“Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way.” Indeed, Mr. Miller, indeed.  And so by watching a man love the Bible, and trying to figure out WHY he loves it,  I too have discovered a love for the Bible.  Sometimes I’m frustrated that I can’t find the words to express this properly.  All I can say is, dig into it, and see for yourself.

—

Question for the Day:  What do you think about the Bible? Be honest.

—

This morning I was reading through Joshua 5 and 6.  Earlier today on Google Buzz I wrote the following:

Donny Pauling - Buzz - Public

When Joshua was trying to figure out how to take the walled city of Jericho without possessing the weapons necessary to do so he was very troubled. He couldn’t figure it out. As the leader, it was his job to do so. But as he was pacing around fretting what he was gonna do he ran into God and was basically told, “Hey, this is my battle. Don’t worry about it. I’m leading this charge. You’re just a soldier following orders here. Let your mind rest ’cause I’ve got this covered.” What a relief, huh? Joshua didn’t need to bear the heavy burden and responsibility of leadership alone.

Sometimes I forget that life’s problems are taken care of. I can just be a dependent, rather than needing to worry about things I can’t change…

Donny Pauling - What a thought:

An army is being led into battle. Joshua, as leader, would normally shoulder the responsibilities. But not this time. God made it clear the He was leading the charge. Joshua was standing behind Him this time, not having to carry the weight of the world.

Lead, God. Lead. You’re the General in Charge. Take charge of my life…I’ll just listen for your commands.

I got a whole lot out of today’s readings, which also included chapters from Psalms and Genesis… those thoughts are just a few I pondered.  Studying the Bible each day just sets a tone for the day, know what I mean?

Last week I had the privilege to sit down with Ted Haggard, who was in town to attend a Pastor’s conference at a local church. In the coming days I’d like to share with you several things I discussed with him.

One of Ted Haggard's "Tweets" from Last Wednesday (screencap from my iPhone's 'Tweetie' app)

Going into our conversations, I had my B.S. detector turned way up. If Ted tried to sugarcoat any of his actions, if he tried to downplay anything, if he was disingenuous at all, I’d be the first to scream it from the rooftops. But I can tell you this, dear Constant Reader, the Ted Haggard I met with was a very warm man, humbled by his own sin nature and holding nothing back. I saw a man who loves Jesus, a man who was at times sad, at other times upset, and above all, didn’t make excuses for his actions. To be honest, I saw a man who I identify with.

So often we put religious leaders on a pedestal, and if they fall we are hurt on a deeper level than we’d be if most others in our lives were to fall. Some of us are angry and resist extending forgiveness. Some of us scream of hypocrisy. Still others celebrate the comeback of fallen leaders like we would that of our favorite NFL team, down in the 4th quarter, but who miraculously pulls off a last second victory to win a conference championship for a place in the Superbowl.

And why is it that the comeback of a religious leader is so celebrated by some, you might ask? Perhaps it’s because we see someone who isn’t the closest thing to God in the flesh, as we’d formerly esteemed him or her, and who is, after all, one of us. Perhaps it’s something else entirely. Whatever it is, I’ll admit that I am one of those who has been heartened by watching Ted Haggard’s recovery with the support of his amazing wife and biological family, especially so after speaking with him in person, asking some tough questions and receiving real, honest answers.

Our first meeting took place last Monday morning.  I turned on my Sony digital audio recorder and we spoke for nearly three hours. Early Tuesday I received a Facebook message from Ted asking if I would call him on his cell and discuss meeting yet again for a follow up interview, as there were some things on his heart that he really wanted to make sure I shared with those who read the article I write about him. This second meeting lasted nearly two hours, and like the first, I took my pastor along to contribute to the conversation. In fact, I’m sure you’ll be able to read some of Dr. G’s thoughts on his blog at some point.

I’m requesting that you come back and read about these conversations, and invite a friend to do the same. Invite your entire email address book, all of your twitter followers, your Facebook friends, every person still on your MySpace friends list, and your entire church congregation.  I’ll have the first article up no later than this coming Monday afternoon – hopefully sooner – and intend to follow it with others. Regardless of your thoughts on Ted Haggard’s crisis, I know you’ll find something of interest.  I look forward to sharing this experience with you.

See you then!

The main purpose for this blog is to serve as my journal/diary.  Often times I’ve written about things I wish to remember in the future.  I sometimes go back and read old entries and am surprised at how things have changed, most often those “changes” are my opinions on matters.  I feel like I should put a disclaimer at the top of this site that says, “My Opinions are Subject to Change Without Notice”.  I embrace this constant evolution, however.  I’m confident it’s something God is doing within me, and who wants to remain the same once HE has become involved in one’s life?

I’m also convinced God has a way of leading us to places we’re supposed to be. While there are numerous examples of this within my own life, for this post I’ll focus on the church I call home and the man who leads it, as much of the changes within me have come as a direct result of the perspectives I’ve encountered therein.

I first met Dr. Bill Giovannetti in a quaint little coffee shop called Yaks just weeks after leaving my past behind. I won’t bore you with details, but that meeting eventually led to a friendship I cherish very much.  Bill is the lead pastor at Neighborhood Church, which I now call home.  His style of preaching is exactly what I need. I particularly enjoy the way Dr. G brings context into scripture.

An open admission:  I fully intend to steal Bill’s sermon notes should I ever find myself speaking in front of churches on topics other than porn.  There’s not a sermon I’ve heard that doesn’t teach me something new, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that.

I really don’t like to kiss a whole lot of backside, so I’m not going to list all the things I appreciate about my Pastor…  but there are a lot of them.  Suffice it to say:  if anyone who listens to Bill on a regular basis DOESN’T spiritually grow it’s his/her own fault, ’cause there is no doubt he puts a big spotlight on the path to spiritual maturity.  I realize I’m still down there in the infant stages, but I’m listenin’ and learnin’.

If you live too far from Redding, CA to attend Neighborhood Church, the wonders of technology (and good ol’ fashioned books) will allow you, too, to benefit from the teachings of Bill G.  Here are four ways:

• Download the audio or video of each sermon from the church media page
• Click Here for the Podcast on iTunes
• Read Bill’s Blog:  Maxgrace.com

I’d also highly recommend clicking over to Amazon.com and making a purchase this afternoon (check out that last quote on the back cover ):

“How to Keep Your Inner Mess From Trashing Your Outer World: Creating Peace from Your Inner Chaos” (Bill Giovannetti)

Before Christ, I often railed on judgmental Christians. After Christ, I’ve continued to do so from time to time. But Wendy’s mother emailed me awhile back and pointed out:

Being judgmental of the Judgmental is still… judgmental.

I contemplated what she said for a long time, and still contemplate it today, and her words have helped me get rid of a lot of bitterness. It’s not all gone, but it’s going.

_________

One of my favorite Gandhi quotes:

“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

I would like to see that perception of Christians changed, wouldn’t you? The answer to making that perception change can also be found in another Gandhi quote:

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

It starts with me.  I am the only person I can really change, a task made easier with God’s assistance.

“God, please help me.”

It’s 1:30am and I am nowhere close to tired.  Perhaps that’s because I slept in until 1pm after chatting with a friend into the wee hours of the morning.  I don’t remember the last time I was still awake after 4am, as was the case yesterday.

So I’m gonna write a bit, something I haven’t done nearly enough lately.

I still let Christians bother me.  On Sunday night I listened to a message where the speaker said something about how often times the longer a person serves God the further that person gets from the people He wants reached, and that is so damned true, isn’t it?  We get caught up in our iGroups, our church families, our speaking engagements… I remember the honeymoon days, just a bit over two years ago, when I finally encountered and surrendered my life to a living God I’d heard about all my life but had never truly met.  Those days were amazing.  Church politics was something I wanted nothing to do with, and would ask that people leave me out of such discussions.  When I went to this one particular church in town I was ignorant to the fact that almost every aspect of their ministry required the transfer of money, soon to even include paying to “volunteer” one’s service (can you believe that?).  The reason I was ignorant is because I simply went to church to receive from God, and purposely sat in the front so nothing would distract me from that end.  But now I let such things bother me.  Again.  I forget the fact that if God once used a jackass to deliver His message He can surely use money hungry clergymen, in spite of themselves.

I’ve seen myself become more “churchified” and less raw.  And raw, my friends, is where I want to be.  When I called my dad in September of 2006 to tell him I’d given my life to God he told me to remain true to myself as well.  I haven’t done the best job doing so, ’cause if I had I wouldn’t find myself watching my mouth so much, lest I offend the fragile sensibilities of Brother So-and-So.   If you’re one of those who has followed my blog these last few years you may remember the blog post I wrote about Christian Parroting.  Well my friends, the saints still go marching in, speaking an entirely different language than the rest of the world.  And Brother and Sister stick-in-the-butt still think that’s the way things should be.

And I get caught up in all of that.

Instead of ignoring legalism when it raises its head, I argue.  Instead of shutting out problems within the church, I listen.  Instead of spending time with God, I attempt to prove His existence to those who have heard the message and chosen to walk away from it.  And why?  Mostly because I’m argumentative by nature, a battle that wars within me which I’ve not yet won.

Seminary is great.  I’m learning a lot.  My mind is being rewired.  But God please don’t let me become just another typical Christian, wrapped up in my own little bubble world acting nothing like Christ, who is the  MASTER at reaching into the gutter pulling out the stinky and washing them clean with love.  I really need to get my hands dirty again.  May I never become “religious”,  instead simply love and pursue you intently,  letting that love change everything about me.  May I never forget the message that reached me.  May I stop arguing with people who have already been rescued over topics that aren’t reaching those who have not.  May I motivate myself to get off my lazy ass and walk that trail every single day like I used to do, rather than when it “fits my schedule”, because along that trail the two of us have some amazing conversations.  And from that place, all other aspects of life flow smoothly.

I do thank you, my Father, that you’ve placed amazing people into my life (especially BG, who really makes a lot of sense), and I also thank you for those who kicked my butt so much at the beginning of this journey.  May the butt kickings return.  They really did me a lot of good.

We’re told that if we want to know God we should read our Bible. But how did those He used to write the Bible know Him, and why can’t I encounter Him the same way they did? And since the Canon of the Bible wasn’t decided upon until the 4th century, did all who lived beforehand NOT know Him to the extent those of us who possess a Bible are able to know Him?

Do we put too much emphasis on reading the Bible and not enough on living in communion with God and conversing with Him in person?

These are questions I have, as I study for the exegesis class I’m currently taking.

A few weeks ago I watched John McCain on The View, where he stated that he believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned. On this, I agree with John McCain.  Too bad he has little power to do anything about it.  In another interview he publicly stated that, if President, the Justices he’d nominate to the Supreme Court would NOT have to pass a litmus test in regards to their opinions on abortion.  In other words… business as usual.

18 hours ago I received an email from a woman who attends the same church I attend. She wrote, “I will be so bold as to say that anyone who calls themself a Christian should not be ABLE to cast a vote for a baby killer.”

She is, of course, referring to Barack Obama, who is Pro-Choice.

Abortion is an important topic in our country, and one on which most people have strong emotions one way or another.  My position is clear:  I hate abortion.  I don’t think a woman should be allowed to kill her unborn baby and not face the same consequences any other murderer faces.  And when it boils down to it, that’s exactly what Roe v Wade does:  removes the threat of earthly consequences from the Doctors who perform abortions and the women who CHOOSE to have them.

But, dear Christian, does the legality of abortion make it a viable option for you?  No?  Why not?  Could it possibly be because one’s “choice” is actually a condition of the heart? The ONLY way to rid this country of abortion is to change hearts!  No law will ever change a person’s heart.

Since he is not a Medical Doctor, I think it’s a safe bet to say that Barack Obama has never performed an abortion.

Unless he’s a freak of nature, I think it’s a safe bet to say that Barack Obama has never personally had an abortion, either.

But if Barack Obama is a “baby killer” because he espouses a belief that a pregnant woman should be allowed to make the decision as to whether or not she’ll terminate her pregnancy, if THAT is the criteria to make one a “baby killer”, then perhaps we should consider this question as well:

Is GOD HIMSELF a baby killer?

After all, God gave each of us free will to make choices in our lives, choices which ultimately lead to death, didn’t He?  And millions, perhaps billions, have made those choices, haven’t they?  So does allowing choice make God Himself a murderer?

I’d imagine that all who proclaim a belief in God are also convinced that He has the last word.  He makes the final judgment.  Those who make the decision to murder their children might escape punishment here on earth, but He dishes out eternal consequences.

Senator Obama is not responsible for the choices of pregnant women or the Doctors who perform abortions.  With my own ears I’ve heard him state the opinion that he personally detests the thought of abortion, but believes each woman has the right to make such a choice.  He may favor giving a “pass” from earthly consequences, but Barack Obama is not a baby killer any more than God is a baby killer.  In His infinite power, God could quite easily intercede and stop abortion, or murder, or rape… or any other man made, sin inspired malady.  But He doesn’t.  He allows us to make our choices, yet wishes us to know that there are consequences for our decisions.

There is also redemption available, isn’t there?  There is a cure for the heart condition that leads to a person being capable of ending the life of the innocent.  The final payment for our sins is eternal death.  We can make payment in person, or we can allow God Himself to pay it for us.  The choice is ours.  He’s opened an account in our name for the exact amount owed by each and every one of us for the sins we’ve committed…  sins that have the exact same result as that of a woman or doctor ending a child’s life:  eternal separation from the Creator of the Universe.  The payment in that account can be claimed by any person at any time in any place simply by CHOOSING to say, “I’ll take it!  Thank you SO MUCH!”.

When God made a personal appearance, in the flesh, right here on this earth He asked those of us who have accepted that payment to become His doctors,  offering the cure for this world’s bad heart condition to others.  It seems to me that sometimes we don’t see the bigger picture.  Some of us would rather scream at the young mother walking into an abortion clinic than to embrace her, tell her about the CURE, and offer to help her take care of the child in her womb. Others might think it’s a better use of our time to accuse a man like Senator Obama of being a baby killer based on his opinion that earthly consequences should be removed for those who make this very bad choice.

It’s much easier for us to sit around and complain about HIS opinion than to get out and make an effort to change hearts, isn’t it?  We’d rather sit around talking about who will outlaw what, ignoring more than 3 decades of history that shows no politician is going to do anything to overturn a “flawed decision”, than getting out our doctor bags and making house calls.

I hate that “choice” just as much as anyone.  I also despise the idea of capital punishment because I don’t think it’s any man’s place to decide when any other person’s time to choose Eternal Life should run out.  My stomach turns at the choice that has lead to the killing of more than 100,000 innocent Iraqi women and children under the guise of “stopping terror.”

I read one of those email forwards going around in which the following was stated:  “I’m voting Republican because Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush’s daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush Junior needed a ‘we can’t find Bin Laden’ diversion.” Although the intent of the original writer is clear, there’s a good point hidden inside that sentence… there is NO innocence in this election…  neither candidate running for President is innocent.  Barack Obama advocates allowing women to make the choice to end innocent life, yet John McCain supported the decision to ORDER our military personnel to end innocent life.

(that same email also stated, “I’m voting Republican because trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony” but that’s a whole other topic…  one can find hypocrisy wherever he looks)

In wrestling with my decision on which of these two men I’ll be casting my vote for I can’t help but think, “If he was a bit younger, I’d write in Billy Graham (who happens to be a lifelong Democrat by the way) as my choice for President.”  Under his watch, more than 2.5 million hearts from around the world have been united with the cure for what ails ‘em.  But since Reverend Graham is more interested in promoting Christ than politics, I doubt he’d accept the position even if it was offered.

When we make ignorant statements like the one that prompted this post we don’t do God any favors.  It’s okay to disagree with Senator Obama in regards to his opinions on abortion.  It’s okay to disagree with Senator McCain’s support of a deceptive decision to go to war.  But I think it’s divisive to bully others into voting our way by calling candidates “baby killers” (or “terrorists”).

Can we instead maintain civil discussion, vote our conscience, leave the “conscience” of others between them and God, and decide to unite as one body in our efforts to offer the cure to our country’s heart condition?  Is that too much to ask?

After all, healed hearts make issues like abortion… moot.

Please take the time to read this article, written by best selling Christian author Donald Miller and published today on his blog.

I really enjoyed reading this and wanted to share it with you. This is 1st Corinthians 6:12-20 from “The Message” version.

Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims.

You know the old saying, “First you eat to live, and then you live to eat”? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that’s no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!

God honored the Master’s body by raising it from the grave. He’ll treat yours with the same resurrection power. Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master’s body. You wouldn’t take the Master’s body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not.

There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever-the kind of sex that can never “become one.”

There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for?

The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

Being self employed means that I sleep until my eyes open on their own. Rarely do I wake up to the sounds of an alarm. I’ve gotta tell you, it’s heavenly. I have a morning ritual of sorts: I grab my iPhone and check my email almost immediately after waking up. Once that has been accomplished, I browse the mobile versions of various news sites to see if any major news stories have arisen, then I’ll sometimes login to the mobile versions of MySpace or Facebook depending on whether or not I’ve received any new messages or friends requests.

This morning was no different.  In my inbox I received notice that a high school friend added me on Facebook, so I logged in to check out her profile and to see what she’s been up to. After reading her profile, I noticed an article posted by another Facebook “friend”: THIS ARTICLE, written by Frank Schaeffer, an Evangelist’s son who grew up in a strict fundamentalist household, just like I did.

But here’s the reason I changed my plans to walk the Sacramento River Trail this morning and to instead spend time writing this blog post: Frank and his family helped establish the Pro-Life Movement yet Frank, as he wrote in this article back in February, is both Pro-Life and Pro-Obama.  I just had to blog about his writings.

Many of the things he wrote in this article could just as easily have been written by me.  In fact, I’ve said some of the same things right here in this blog.  Here are a few lines I identified with:

As you know I was a lifelong Republican until I reregistered as an Independent in 2006, after I just couldn’t take the Rove brigade’s dirty tricks, lies and slime any longer.

Funny, cause I have been a Republican since I was old enough to vote, yet just a few weeks ago re-registered as an Independent because I’m disgusted by some of the things Republicans have been doing to this country, and the world,  and no longer want to belong to the party of the Good Ol’ Boys.

I know rather a lot about the politics of the “life issues.” And I know you know that is true because you are calling me a traitor for supporting Senator Obama because of my leadership in the early stages of the pro-life movement.

I received an email that let me know I was likely not truly a Christian if I could even consider voting for Barack Obama.  True story.

I know (as you pro-lifers do if you’re honest) that the Republicans have milked the abortion issue, as have the Evangelical and Roman Catholic leadership, for every dime it’s worth for fundraising, votes, power and empire-building, without changing much if anything. As I said, I also am fully aware that Senator Obama is pro-choice. I think his pro-choice views are out of character with his otherwise generous and enlightened world view.

That first line… AMEN, Brother Frank!  I’ve said nearly the same things here.  I think mine have always been worded more like this:  Republicans use the abortion issue to gain the Christian vote, and then forget about abortion until it’s time to run for re-election.

That said… First, a nod to reality: even if Roe were reversed (it won’t be no matter who is president) the abortion pill and the acceptance of at least some types of legal abortion by most Americans guarantees there will be access to abortion. Besides, on a state-by-state basis abortion would remain legal in most states no matter what the court does. And as we have seen the Republicans haven’t really changed anything in thirty years.

Again, haven’t we talked about these same things right here in this blog?  Roe-v-Wade will not be reversed, no matter who is President.  I’ve said that numerous times, but I think the point is best summed up by the comments of one of my readers, who wrote:

Anyone who votes Republican with the belief that GOP appointments to the SC will overturn Roe v. Wade should read about Stare Decisis. It is one of the principles that the Court views as a foundation for all decisions. Almost every Federal Judge (on the Supreme Court and Appellate Courts) clearly and unequivocally rejects the notion that the Supreme Court would EVER revisit a previous case and rule the opposite way. This would delegitimate all prior Court decisions and make any other opinion up for grabs if the justices change. The Court is supposed to be apolitical (the reason for lifetime appointments) and as such if it allowed decisions to be switched because of new appointments to the bench it would serve to politicize (to an even greater degree) the Court.

Frank states the following:

So what do we who find abortion abhorrent do if we want to deal in reality rather than fantasies and slogans of winner-take-all propaganda? The reality is that we need to foster a climate in which we can reduce the number of abortions and also keep the moral — rather than legal — debate alive.

We can’t do this by concentrating on politics, or silver bullets such as trying for that one magic court appointment. It’s the “holistic” approach that is really what’s important if our goal is to reduce the number of abortions rather than just “win” political games.

How many times have YOU heard someone talk about the “Supreme Court Justice” the next Conservative President will appoint?  You know, that magical Justice who will somehow tip the scales and remove Roe-v-wade from before our eyes?  Never mind the fact that Republican appointed Justices, as I’ve pointed out a few times, currently occupy 7 out of the 9 seats.  Never mind the fact that Republican appointed Justices made Roe v Wade a reality to begin with.  Yet, as Frank points out, the Republicans haven’t really changed things on the topic of abortion in 30 years.  And they won’t do so after this election, either!

I enjoyed this paragraph as well:

For all you sanctimonious Evangelicals out there, also note: when it comes to squeaky clean family values, Senator Obama — not Senator McCain — should be your role model. The Republican right wants us to draw back in horror from Obama because he is pro-choice, but this is the same group working to get a philanderer who abandoned his wife because she had a disfiguring accident, elected.

Have you read the stories about this?  I’ve read quite a few of them, from many different view points, but haven’t really said too much about it here on this blog.  Things are already stirred up amongst readers, because so many Christians still buy into the idea that real Christians must vote for the Republican Party.  Please do yourself a favor… find all the information you can about this topic.  Yes, John McCain is a war hero.  But he returned from that war to a wife who had been disfigured by an auto accident while he was gone, and he immediately began cheating on her, eventually leaving her for his current wife.

Frank Schaeffer sums up the reasons I plan to vote for Barack Obama with the first two sentences of this paragraph:

It isn’t just a matter of voting for Obama. Americans who want there to be a country left in which to argue our issues must vote against McCain. As his support for the Bush lies about Iraq shows McCain is hung up on his own version of post-Vietnam traumatic stress disorder. This is a man who would take our civilian culture down in flames and sacrifice it to his sense of death-or-glory military “honor.” How do you “win” a wrong war? McCain will make the world more dangerous. You think Bush was a cowboy? Just try McCain.

I’m NOT a Democrat.  I’m voting AGAINST McCain.  Barack Obama is simply the better of the two viable candidates we’ve been offered this election year.  What can we do to bring a third party into real contention?  Any ideas?  (or how about if all of us Christians write in a candidate, like Billy Graham for instance – tee hee).

The contrast could not have been more clear than on August 16 in the interview between pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church and Obama and McCain. Obama gave real and thoughtful answers, often trying to explore a moral question deeply. McCain offered nothing more than canned applause lines and anecdotes from his tired simplistic stump speech.

McCain fed pre-programed red meat to the Evangelical faithful who were packing the auditorium, but not much more. He parroted all the “right” lines about abortion, the same empty phrases Bush, parrots, Bush’s father parroted and Reagan and Ford parroted.

“When does life begin?” asked Warren. “At conception!” shot back McCain. The Evangelical crowd goes wild! See?! That’s our guy!

And where do the tired canned pro-life “correct answers” get us? Nowhere.

I agree.  100%.

I will be voting for Senator Obama and am fighting for his election because I am pro-life.

Me too, Frank.  Meeeeee tooooooo.

Please, dear Constant Reader, take the time to read the entire article:

Frank!  As a Former Pro-Life Leader How Dare You Support Pro-Choice Obama?

^^^ Just Do It: Click The Link ^^^

And then be sure to read this one too:

Why I’m Pro-Life and Pro-Obama

^^^ Just Do It: Click The Link ^^^

Heck, just read any number of Frank Schaeffer’s articles:

A Listing Of Frank’s Other Blog Posts

^^^ Just Do It: Click The Link ^^^